turn back
Idioms-
Reverse one's direction, as in We had to turn back earlier than expected . [First half of 1500s]
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Drive someone back or away, as in They turned back anyone who didn't have an invitation , or Our forces soon turned back the enemy . [First half of 1500s]
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Fold down, as in Turn back the page you're on to keep your place in the magazine . [Second half of 1800s] Also see turn one's back on .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For now, however, the evidence points to an experimental pathway worth investigating, not a supplement proven to turn back human aging.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
Survivors said they had pleaded for the captain to turn back as the boat took on water.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
They can also be caught out by mountain weather or continue it would be better to change plans or turn back.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
The coming weeks could give airlines a lift, as long as developments in the Middle East don’t turn back the clock.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
It isn’t likely I’d get in trouble if the city’s anointed warriors caught me, but they’d almost certainly make me turn back, and I don’t want to.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
